By Ben Kerrigan-
Saudi Arabia has commenced the implementation of a “strategic plan” to confront the Turkish government, following Turkey’s role in confronting the Kingdom over the murder of journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
The strategic and comprehensive plan comes after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman decided he was being “too patient” with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.
Articulated in a confidential intelligence report based on open- and closed-source intelligence prepared by the kingdom’s ally, the United Arab Emirates, the report makes a systematic case showing proactive action taken by the Saudi Kingdom to make Turkey pay for its role in tarnishing the image of Saudi Arabia.
Written by the Emirates Policy Centre as part of its monthly series, the think tank with close links to the Emirati government and security services reveals plans by the Kingdom to frustrate the Turkish government.
The report first revealed in The Middle East Eye Publication, and brought to the attention of The Eye Of Media.Com on Monday afternoon, highlights a growing degree of enmity between Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Entitled “Monthly Report on Saudi Arabia, Issue 24, May 2019”, the report is of limited circulation and intended for the top Emirati leadership. It does not appear on the think tank’s website. A copy has been obtained by Middle East Eye.
It reveals orders given to implement the goal of confronting the Turkish government. Its overall objective is said to be to use “all possible tools to pressure Erdogan’s government, weaken him, and keep him busy with domestic issues in the hope that he will be brought down by the opposition, or occupy him with confronting crisis after crisis, and push him to slip up and make mistakes which the media would surely pick up on”.
INVESTMENT
The report reveals clear plans for Saudi Arabia to slowly end investment in Turkey and stir tourism from its citizens away from Turkey. Its states:
“The kingdom would start to target the Turkish economy and press towards the gradual termination of Saudi investment in Turkey, the gradual decrease of Saudi tourists visiting Turkey while creating alternative destinations for them, decreasing Saudi import of Turkish goods, and most importantly minimising Turkish regional role in Islamic matters,” the report says.
‘Erdogan went too far in his campaign smearing the kingdom, especially the person of the crown prince’
CONFRONTATION
The report condemns the Turkish president for exceeding boundaries in his pursuit of smearing Saudi Arabia. It says:
“President Erdogan … went too far in his campaign smearing the kingdom, especially the person of the crown prince, using in the most reprehensible manner the case of Khashoggi,” the reports says
The intelligence report claims Turkey did not provide “specific and honest” information to assist the Saudi investigation into the killing, but instead leaked “disinformation” to the media, all aimed at distorting the image of the kingdom and attempting to destroy the reputation of the crown prince”.
BLOCKAGES
In demonstrating efforts made by The Saudi authorities to destabilise Turkey, the report says the Kingdom blocked 80 Turkish trucks transporting textile products and chemicals from entering the kingdom through its Duba port.
It adds that containers carrying fruit and vegetables from Turkey had also been held in Jeddah’s port, according to a Turkish official who spoke to MEE on condition of anonymity.
The report reveals the impact of the strategic plan of the Kingdom on Saudi tourists visiting Turkey decreased 15 percent (from 276,000 to 234,000) in the first six months of 2019, according to official data released by the Turkish tourism ministry.
The report also reveals that the Turkish president’s name was added to the list of those excluded from the summit, alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. It reveals how King Salman decided to allow the Qatari emir to attend the event in Mecca, but withheld invitation to president Erdogan.
Turkey itself has a poor record on upholding human rights, making its own attack on Saudi Arabia a case of pot calling kettle black. Any punishment it finds itself on the receiving end of may simply be a case of Karma fulfilling its course.